1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stabilizer device installed in a vehicle such as an automobile, which is capable of favorably preventing rolling movements of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of known conventional stabilizer devices installed in a vehicle such as an automobile include the stabilizer device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication H4-342611. The stabilizer device of this prior art is provided with a rotary actuator that comprises a cylindrical housing in which a guiding member protrudes inward and a space having a cruciform cross section is formed in the interior thereof, and a rotor portion provided in the space in the cylindrical housing, the rotor portion comprising a cylindrical portion and a vane portion. The rotary actuator is provided between two stabilizer units each functionally attached to the wheel shaft for the right, or left, wheel.
By supplying oil into a fluid chamber located on one side of the vane portion formed in the rotor portion, and discharging fluid from another fluid chamber located on the other side, the rotor portion can be rotated relative to the cylindrical housing. This rotation generates torsional elasticity in the stabilizer so that tilting motion of the vehicle body can be reduced when the vehicle turns, for example, thereby improving vehicle's traveling stability.
The stabilizer device of the prior art described above comprises a sealing member that extends in the axial direction of the cylindrical housing. The sealing member is provided on an apex portion of the guiding member within the cylindrical housing. There is provided another sealing member which extends in the axial direction and whose two end portions are bent at a substantial right angle at its two end portions. The other sealing member is provided on an apex portion and an axial end portion of the vane portion in the rotor portion. These sealing members function to seal the fluid chambers formed on both sides of the vane portion.
In the prior art, therefore, four groups of sealing members having a length long enough to substantially encircle the vane portion are required. Because of this, assembly work of the sealing members is complex. If the assembly work is not conducted with great care, the sealing members may become partially worn in a short time, causing problems such as a fluid leakage. Such a fluid leakage reduces the torsional elasticity of the stabilizer and degrades the ability to control rolling motion of the vehicle body.